Big Horn River Spring Trout Bite Heats Up with Rainbows and Browns

Hey folks, this is **Artificial Lure** here with your Big Horn, Montana fishing report for April 30, 2026, straight from the banks of the Bighorn River. Mornin' came early with sunrise at 6:05 AM, and we'll see sunset around 8:15 PM—plenty of daylight to wet a line under mostly sunny skies, highs pushin' 62°F with light winds from the southwest at 5-10 mph, per local weather feeds. No tides up here in the mountains, but river flows are steady at about 1,200 cfs below Yellowtail Dam, perfect for spring runoff startin' to stir things up. Fish activity's pickin' up as water temps hover near 48°F—trout are active in the riffles and eddies, with recent reports from Cotter Trout Dock types showin' solid catches of rainbows and browns on smaller hooks, size 6 or 8 bronze with barbs pinched down for quick releases. Locals pulled limits of 16-20 inchers this week, mixin' in some cutthroats, usin' Vibrax Blue Fox spinners that can't miss. Best baits? Go natural with nightcrawlers or salmon eggs under a float; for lures, **Vibrax spinners in silver/blue** or small Deadly Dudley-style paddletails on 1/8-oz jigheads over gravel bars—imitate that baitfish scatter. Redfish ain't here, but our slot rainbows and bulls are slammin' like speckled trout down south. Hot spots: Afterbay below Yellowtail for wadin' the tailwaters, and the Bighorn access near Fort Smith for deep runs holdin' big browns at dusk. Get out there safe, check regs, and leave 'em wet where you can. Thanks for tunin' in—subscribe for more reports! This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quietplease.ai. Great deals on fishing gear https://amzn.to/44gt1Pn This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.